Category Archives: Video Games

I have been trying to figure out what sort of power source would be best for the VCSp’s that I want to sell. They currently take (3) AA’s and (1) 9 volt. I was thinking that it might be better if they took rechargeable camcorder batteries. (like the Vagabond plans) These batteries would cost from $40 to $150, depending on how much power / time you wanted. Best of all, they’d be rechargeable. I’d probably just let the VCSp buyers purchase their own and stick them in.

I guess the only issue here really is cost. Course, run through about 7 or 8 sets of batteries and you’ve got the $40 cost of a rechargeable.

I’d like to know what people think, I’m too lazy to set up a poll so please drop me a line and give me your take on the whole rechargeables VS non-rechargeable thing. Thanks!

A major stumbling block in my quest to build Ataris is the cost of the screens. As far as screens go, there are two choices.

Pocket TV’s have 2.5 to 3 inch screens, which is a good size, but since they can also receive TV signals they have a lot of excess circuitry and that wastes space.

Modular screens usually just have video IN jacks, they can’t receive TV signals off the air. And that’s fine, because all these portables use are composite video signals. But most modular screens don’t come smaller than 4 inch, and a lot of them use 12 volt power. That screen size is too big and 12 volts is more power than a portable can manage.

So if anyone has info on modular type screens that can accept a composite video input and don’t have much excess circuitry, I’d be very grateful if they could drop me a line. Ideal screen size would be from 2.5 to 3 inches diagonal. Ideal power consumption would be 5 volts or less, but as close to 5 as possible. This is part of my effort to bring down the price of Atari portables, and any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

NOTE – Game Boy / Game Gear screens will not work without modifications. I’m looking for info on small television/monitor screens only.

Last week I mentioned something I was working on called ‘Secret Project X’. Now, it is finished:

As you can see, it is another Atari 2600 VCSp. It’s not quite done, another day or two… still needs a few things. This is part of a process I am working on to simplify construction so I can build these things in a short amount of time. Most of the changes are internal, and they help a lot. I came across a new type of material called “Densitec” which is a type of plastic. Naturally, the first thing I thought of was Ataris, so I did some tests. The Densitec can be routed very quickly, almost twice as fast as I was able to rout the case for the original VCSp, and it is much stronger. Also you can see it has a nice ‘texture’ to it, like an Atari. The sample material I had to work with was BLUE, hence the color of this case. I can order this material in BLACK, but since it’s kinda spendy (have to order a certain amount at a time) I want to see how things go first.

By ‘how things go’ I mean the sale of this unit. That’s correct, this unit is FOR SALE. It was built with one thing in mind – to be sold to some lucky Atari enthusiast. It will probably go on eBay in a few weeks. And then, if I find interest to be strong enough, I will order additional material and start building even MORE of them. And then they will be colored black, don’t worry!

This is Phase 1 of a plan that I have for bringing these portables to the masses. I welcome any suggestions or questions you might have, so please email them here.

Now that I have finished my movie, I can get back to the important stuff: ATARI! Some recent developments have led me in a certain direction… For the past week I have been working on SECRET PROJECT X! Not only to give me a break from the Vagabond, but for the betterment of Atari-dom!
I am about 60% through SECRET PROJECT X, and I should know by January 19th-ish if it’s going to work. If it does, it will answer the most frequently asked question I’ve had…

Well, we’re finally here! I’ve been working on this new site practically since the old one opened back in late September, and I hope it serves the Atari-loving public well. Here’s a run-down of what you will find and what I’ve been up to:

I am still working on my next Atari unit, the Vagabond, and I have a rather detailed “Story so far”. I write about a page a week regarding the Vagabond’s progress, so there is quite a bit of info there already for you to peruse, and much more will be coming! I can’t say exactly when it will be done (since I keep adding things and revising them) but probably January or February.

The “2600 VCSp” is the story of the original VCSp that I built. It’s pretty much the same as it was on the old site, a few changes, some new pictures… OH! And I spelled “Potentiometer” correctly this time. I received a good number of emails informing me of that mistake, but now I am atoned!

The new “How To” section has an item-by-item table of contents of how to do things to your Atari, such as get video off the board without those stupid RF switches, run it off batteries, wire around things, and the like. There is one section I am still working on, and that is how to chop an Atari 2600 Junior board down to as small as I have mine (for the Vagabond). That’s going to take a while for me to document, so I’ll have to log it as a Coming Attraction. Check out the Vagabond story for pictures of how small the board can get!

Oh, yes. I have created a new “Info Hub” section. It’s got various stuff in it, but most importantly, it’s got explanations, pictures and info on the machines I used to build the VCSp. A lot of you had questions on how I made the case for the Atari so I figured it would be a good topic.

There is a new “FAQ” section which will answer more broad topics, such burning questions as to whether or not my Ataris are for sale, what other systems I might want to work on next, and the like.

The “Downloads” section has a video file of the VCSp in action, a video regarding the components in the Vagabond, a neat Atari 2600-themed Win Amp skin and other things that will be added as time goes by.